BAGHDAD: Iraq’s top Shiite Muslim cleric said on Friday that a new prime minister must be chosen without foreign interference after Adel Abdul Mahdi announced his resignation a week ago.
Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani urged political leaders to abandon partisan politics in choosing a new head of government and said he would have no involvement in efforts to replace Abdul Mahdi.
![]()
Iraq’s Sistani says new PM must be chosen without foreign interference
Iraq’s Sistani says new PM must be chosen without foreign interference
Abbas discusses Palestinian developments in Gaza, West Bank with Norwegian king
- Abbas said that the Israeli government’s actions aim to weaken Palestinian institutions and hinder the two-state solution
LONDON: President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the latest developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with King Harald V of Norway on Thursday.
Abbas recognized Norway’s financial, humanitarian, and development assistance to the Palestinian people, which ultimately led to the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state in May 2024.
Abbas discussed with King Harald the serious situation in the Palestinian regions of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He warned of the ongoing Israeli “policy of genocidal aggression, blockade and starvation against the Palestinian people,” in Gaza, according to the Wafa news agency.
He said that the Israeli government’s actions aim to weaken Palestinian institutions and hinder the two-state solution.
The meeting at the Royal Palace in Oslo included PLO Executive Committee Member Ziad Abu Amr, Presidential Diplomatic Adviser Majdi Al-Khalidi, and Ambassador Marie Antoinette Sedin, the representative of the State of Palestine to Norway.
Abbas is on a two-day official visit to strengthen ties and discuss developments in Palestine and the region, Wafa added.
Latest updates
Recommended
© 2026 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.